Hong's BBS

MFW I am planning to launch anything new. Even if I have done this a few times, the butterflies never go away.

Will anyone even need what we're offering? Will we ever get customers who don't already know me? I remember the first time I saw a stranger riding a Karmic Bike and I didn't know who they were. It was a small milestone, showing me that our little brand had grown beyond the friends and family circle.

I don't know how far I can take but there's only one way to find out.

A lot of y’all might know me as the Bike Guy, but I’m also a longtime Startup Guy.

Day One at Sea Otter was amazing, until I got back to my car and it wouldn’t start. 😩

Big thanks to Spencer from San Diego who helped me and went beyond any reasonable expectations for rescuing a complete stranger. Gotta love bike people!

I’ll start with a few pics which I will call “Women and Wacky Old Guys of the Bike Industry”. Stay tuned for my traditional post next!

Launching something 'new' at Sea Otter Classic! If you see an older Asian Guy on this vintage Merlin, just 👋🏼 and say Hi.

I'm only going on Thursday for the informal Bike Industry Day to say Hi to my - I said that I would never start another Bike Company after Karmic...

So the new thing isn't that, but it's also not a new idea. Just something that is needed for a niche clientele in an increasingly confusing consumer market (with dubious marketing!).

The Merlin is a 🧩🗝️🔐 if you can figure it out. 😉

Always a good conversation with my friend Mike. We talked about teaching teens to drive, new EVs for our wives and of course a bit about bikes. Mike is one of those Founders who are under the radar, even though he sold his last startup. Hint, check the logo on his Patty jacket. 😉

Excited for him to launch his new startup next month. I'm still trying to figure out how much time and energy to invest in my third startup. Older Founders just don't get the same support, even if we've been through it a few times before. The upside is that we don't need it. Keeps the cap table clean! 😅

Said goodbye to the old girl this morning. Went to the car wash bright and early. Found all the little parts for the bike racks. Dug up all the paperwork, including the original window sticker. Idk why, but I have always kept these when possible. You don't buy a brand new car that often in life. I think I don't even buy brand new bikes very often either.

What's a good used car for a teenager to use around town? I'd much prefer that Max rides an ebike or his Canyon. But I was car crazy at his age, so it's nice to see that he's even interested in cars, unlike most of his peers.

I certainly didn't need these frame decals, but you never know what the future holds. I'm pretty certain steel will continue to be real in 2024 and beyond. Never doubt my ability to envision the next generation of bicycles.

Yesterday was a great day! Starting off with a quick gravel & coffee ride with the Fat Cake Crew at my favorite coffee shop (). Then I scooted down to Santa Cruz to see Brendan for a quick shave. It still 'lathes' to have bike industry friends like him! The Merlin will be back on the road soon!

Then I thought I would check out new showroom, since I haven't seen it yet. I'll definitely be back to demo the new Oso! Great catching up with Roxy & Hans too. Really smart, passionate and well-seasoned Founders of a great bike brand. I've owned a half dozen Ibises over the years.

Last but not least were stops at Good Karma Bikes for a tire swap, and SV Bike Exchange for an unexpected come-up. Gregg knows I have a soft spot for ebikes, so he gave me a price I couldn't refuse. I promised my wife no more bikes, but I swear they (almost) gave it to me! 😅

They say sports can be a game of inches, but building up old bikes is much harder. I'll finish up my Fancy Townie when I get a machinist friend to round down 0.6mm from this damn fork. Or I will get impatient and hack it with a flat file.

Happy with the tires from my friend Kenneth! We just trade parts back and forth every time we see each other.

And yes, I do have three Thomson collars that are within a couple mm of each other. Why do you ask?

Today's been a day! And I better get out of court in time for dinner with my favorite girl. The American system has a lot of room for improvement. That's all I can say for now. 🤫😑🤐

Great chatting with a bike friend about job searching and career stuff. I don't know if you know, but I'm a recruiter and always happy to help anyone looking for a job or thinking about a career change. Today's chat was about climate tech, and I think we're going to be okay if we get more folks like Suzanne to apply her knowledge, experience and energy to make sure the planet is going to be ok. Well, more like making sure humanity continues to exist, because the Earth has been around long enough, with or without us. 🌎

Also, kinda nice to get a cup of coffee on the house. I can't recommend Cloud9 Coffee enough! If you are anywhere on the Peninsula, you would be hard pressed to find a better cup of coffee, served up by a nicer crew than this one.

There's a bittersweet feeling when your local coffee shop is blowing up and it's so packed that you end up waiting a bit. But I'm so happy to see this place get the love it so richly deserves. I'm still trying to do my best to make this the preferred spot on the Peninsula, so keep an eye on the baristas 🧢 next time you stop by Cloud9 Coffee.

I did get to chat with a customer who was on vacation from Seattle. She said she just closed her coffee shop a few months ago because most people would rather go to Starbucks. You can't complain about a lack of community and neighborhood feeling if you don't support your local small businesses. Stop by next time you're riding on the Bay Trail and tell 'em that the Bike Mayor sent you!